China's first domestically made nuclear reactor goes online

Photo shows the exterior of the No.5 nuclear power unit in the city of Fuqing, southeast China's Fujian Province, Nov. 26, 2020. China's first nuclear power unit using Hualong One technology, a domestically developed third-generation reactor design, was connected to the grid at 00.41am on Friday and started to generate electricity, according to the China National Nuclear Corporation. - Xinhua

BEIJING, Nov 28 (AFP): China has powered up its first domestically developed nuclear reactor -- the Hualong One -- a significant step in Beijing's attempts to become less dependent on Western allies for energy security and critical technology.

The reactor, which was connected to the national grid on Friday, can generate 10 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity each year and cut carbon emissions by 8.16 million tons, according to China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC).